In 1928 Her Majesty Queen Mary (wife of George V) consented to become the first Colonel-in-Chief of The Queen’s Own, the only Regiment in Canada to be so honoured. Throughout the 25 years that Queen Mary was C-in-C not a year passed without some act of remembrance or message indicative of her genuine interest in the well-being of her Regiment.

In 1893 at the age of 26, Mary, granddaughter of King George III, married George, later to be crowned King George V, she would be Queen Consort until his death in 1936. Two of her sons became kings of Great Britain as Edward VIII and George VI.

During the Second World War Queen Mary won international acclaim for her work for charities and hospitals. She died on 24 March, 1953.

Then Lieutenant Colonel Neil Gordon, acted as an Honorary Pallbearer on both March 29 to Westminster Hall and on March 31 at the funeral service at St. George’s Chapel, Windsor – the only time in history [as of 1960] that a Canadian Regiment at been so honoured. A Detachment from the QOR Company, 1st Canadian Rifles, then in Germany, also attended the funeral [2] p285/6

You can see a two part documentary on Queen Mary below: